Nut-cracking machine



NUT cRAcKING MACHINE Original Filed Deo. 22, 1922 TL 1..v

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vROBERT E. WOODSON, F WEBSTER GROVES,

NUTcRAcKING MACHINE.

Original application filed December 22, 1922, Serial No. 608,408.Divided and this application filed August 3, 1923. Serial No. 655,415. Y

To all whom it may] concern j Be it known that I, ROBERT E. Woonson, acitizen of the United States, residing at Webster Groves, St. LouisCounty, Missouri, have invented a new and useful Nut- Cracking Machine,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to nut cracking ma-y chines, and has specialreferenceto thede vices for conveying the nutsy from ahopper to the nutlcracking mechanism. This case is a division of prior lapplication'Serial No. 608,408, filed Deceniberf22', 1922.

An n object. of fthe invention is .to improve generally the conveyor andother ydevices for conveying nuts from the hopper to the nut cracking`mechanism, and to provide means to prevent the conveyor from dischargingtoward the nut cracking mecha` nism more than one nut at 'a'timel Othervobjects will appear from the following description', reference beingmade to the drawings in which- Fig. l is a plan view of the ,presentin-V vention. Y

F ig. 2 is a side elevationof` thesameV with the hopper in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged `Vview showing a portion of the conveyor and theconstruction thereof which prevents the discharge of more than one nutat a time toward the nut cracking mechanism.

The machine in which the present embodiment of the invention is showncomprises a pair of side frames 1 having at one end a hopper forcontaining the nuts to be cracked. The hopper includes a rear wall 2,side walls 3, a forwardly inclined inner wall 4 and a downwardly 'and'forwardly inclined bottom wall 5. d

The machine in which the invention is shown is a duplex or two unitmachine hav ing a capacity for cracking two nuts at each operation ofthe cracking devices, but it is clear that the machine may beconstructed with any desired capacity. As shown, there is a conveyor.for each cracking device and the two conveyors shown operate to convey dthe nuts from the same hopper.

vAs shown each conveyor comprises a chain 6 engaging and being operatedvby sprocket y wheels .7 attached to a shaft 8 rotatively supported nearthe Lipper edge of the inclined inner wall 4 of the hopper. The chainsalso y the conveyors.

pass around rollers 8 below the hopper. The rollers 9 are on ahorizontal shaft 10 having its ends mounted in guides 11 in which theshaft is capable of movement toward and away from the shaft 8. The shaft10 `ispfpressed downwardly by springs which hold the conveyor chains 6under proper tension.` The conveyor chains 6 pass through openings 18 inthe bottom wall 5 Of the hopper adjacent to #the inclined inner wall 4and operate in channels or guides 14 in the inner wall 4 of :the hopper.

j `The ynut'holders on the conveyor chains comprise bifurcated arms 15,each having a recess 16vfor the reception of a nut. Pins 17 project intothe openings 13 to prevent the nuts from dropping through and to permitthe nut holders 15 to pass. The conveyor chains 6 have ejectors in theform of nuts 18 thereon adjacent to the nut holders 15 to preventlodgment of more than. one nut .on each nut holder. Eachnutrholder formsa'complete link in the chain and the ejector 18 is'on the link that ispivotally connected rwith the nut holder link. The Vshaft 8 sup .ports aradial pin 19 Vat the side of each conveyor chain` which cooperate withthe ejectors 18 to prevent lodgment of'lmore than one nut on the nutholders and to cause proper discharge of the nuts from Thus the nuts aredischarged one at a time by each conveyor as the nut holders 15 passover the sprocket wheels 7. The nuts are discharged into inclined chutes2O having hinged plates 21 onto which the nuts drop from the nut holdersand which are engaged by the nut holders. successively and actuateddownwardly until the nutV holders pass.

The plates 21 are attached to a rockable rod 22 having pins 23 in itsends to which Springs'24 are connected for closing the plates 21. Thepins 23 engage stops 25 to hold the plates 21 in proper position. Y

The chutes 20 incline downwardly andV forwardly tapering somewhat towardtheir lower ends. The side walls of the chutes extend downwardlybeyondthe bottom walls and are connected by a front wall 26. From the lowerends of the bottom walls of the chutes the nuts drop to shuttle devices27 and thence are delivered to the nut cracking devices.

A sprocket wheel 28 is rigid with one loo A what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is L- 1.1114 a nut cracking mechanism, aninclined wall for supporting the nuts as the nuts move toward the nutcracking mechanism and having an opening at its upper end, a conveyorfor conveyingnuts for delivery to said wall, an inclined plate havingits lower end near the lower end of said opening and its upper yend nearsaid conveyor for receiving nuts delivered thereto from the conveyor andarranged to yield to -permit'the conveyor to pass, a support on whichthe lower end of said plate is pivoted near the lower end of saidopening, a spring yieldingly supporting said plate in position toreceive ynuts ldelivered thereto from ythe conveyor and Vpermitting saidplate to turn on said support, and elements preventing movement of saidplate upwardly beyond proper position.

2.1n anut cracking machine, nut cracking mechanism, a hopper for thenuts to be cracked havingan opening through the bottom thereof, aconveyor passing through said opening and through said hopper forconveying the nuts from the hopper for delivery to the nut crackingmechanism, an

inclined guide in which the conveyor operates, bifurcated nut holders onthe conveyor for conducting the nuts one by one from the hopper, aprojection supported by the hopper and extending into said opening andpermitting the arms of the bifurcated nut holders to pass at the sidethereof and prevent the nuts from drop-ping through said opening, and anejector knob on said conveyor adjacent to each nut holder preventinglodginent of more than one nut onta holder.

3. In a nut cracking machine, a conveyor chain for conveying nuts to becracked, holders on the chain for supporting the nuts, and a roundedprojection rigid with a link of the chain adjacent to each holderpermitting lodgment of a single nut on the adjacent holder andpreventing lodgment of one nut upon another'.

4:. In a nut cracking machine, a downwardly inclined chute forconducting nuts toward the nut cracking mechanism, a hopper forcontaining the nuts, a conveyor composed of a series of pivotally unitedlinks, projecting nut holders on a number of said links, and a.projection rigid with one of the links connected to each link supportinga nut holder preventing lodgment of one nut upon another.

5. In a nut cracking machine, a conveyor chain for conveying nuts to becracked, bifurcated recessed holders on the chain for supporting thenuts, and a rounded projection rigid with a link of the chain adjacentto each holder preventing lodgment of one nut upon another.

ROBERT E. WOODSON.

